How to Have the Best Workout Ever

This was posted on my fitness blog but I will start to incorporate some health posts here as well so be sure to check out the Lifestyle tab for more in the future!

Being healthy and fit is a lifelong commitment. No you do not have to be in the gym every day of your life, but you do have to stay physically active. Some days are better than most. We all have those kick ass, dripping in sweat, body so sore workouts. Then there are those gym sessions that seem indifferent. Like you made no progress and you wasted your time even driving there.  Whatever excuse we come up with for not having a killer workout is not going to get you any closer to the body of your dreams.

I am going to share 5 tips that have helped me regain momentum and have the best workouts ever.

1. Be Fully rested

Nothing sucks more than getting to the gym and having absolutely no energy. All you can think about is crawling back into bed. Whether you live an extremely busy life or not, you must schedule in a proper nights sleep. It is recommended to get up to 8 hours of rest at night. By sleeping a full 8 hours, you are giving you body an opportunity to repair itself and regain strength for the next day. Remember your body is a factory, it works all day and all night. Breaking down food, repairing cells and muscles, growing, moving nutrients from here to there, making sure everything is properly imported and exported- like these things and more are happening 24/7. Give yourself a break and get the full 8 hours you deserve!

2. Have a Plan

Be prepared when you walk into the gym. Layout your trail and navigate through it. Know which machines you are going to use, with however much weight and for however many sets. You will NOT look silly being the smallest one in the weight room; everyone is in there for one reason- to gain muscle. You will look more ridiculous wandering around the gym like a lost puppy confused as to what to do. Know your workout and follow it through with conviction. This leads me to my next tip.

3. Do Your Research

Watch videos, read articles, look at demonstration pictures- whatever it is RESEARCH your workout before you do it. If you do not know how to use a machine, but know you want to use it, then research it! Not only will you look like a lost puppy wandering around the gym, but you will also end up hurting yourself if you perform the exercise wrong. Doing research and watching motivational videos before your workout will help motivate you, and push you to challenge yourself in the gym and try new things.

4. Eat!

Do not skip meals, do not starve your self, don't not eat! You are sending some serious red flags to your body that will send it into starvation/survival mode. This is the last thing you want to do. Your body will sense the lack of nutrients entering the body and instead of releasing the waste, it will store it as fat. Instead of flushing toxins out of your body, it will hold on to anything and everything it can because it is preparing for survival. Having a meal with good carbs before a workout will give you an extra boost of energy (carbs are an energy source!)


5. Just Leave
   I find that if my head is not in the right place or if I truly am not motivated to be at the gym- I just leave. I don't want to waste my time and I don't want to look silly wandering around. It is completely opposite than the whole "well I made it here, I am at the gym now, just make the best of it" mentality. Yes you should be encouraged that at least you made it to the gym, but seriously to get the BEST workout you can, just leave and try again later. Don't just settle for "well I'm here", you need to be ready to take on your workout and kick ass. Doing a half ass job at the gym will more than likely disappoint you because you wish you would have done better. By just leaving, and possibly coming back later, you give yourself a second chance to get it together and have a kick ass workout.